GLOSSARY.

GLOSSARY FOR THE JAPANESE TECHNICAL TERMS IN ALPHABET:

AKARUI-SHU: A bright shade red lacquer.

AKARUI-SHU-NURI: Coating with red lacquer of bright red shade.

AO-JI: Blue-lacquer coating.

AO- to-MIDORI-JI: Blue and green lacquer coating.

ASHIDE-E: A term referring to lacquer objects with calligraphic ornamentation interspersed within a pictorial design.

CHIJIMI-NURI: A wrinkled surface is created when an extra thick lacquer layer is allowed to harden.

DAKKATSU: Hollow dry lacquer; The dried lacquer (kanshitsu) is shaped on a wooden last by applying a lacquered hemp cloth. Once the desired thickness has been obtained, the fabric form is removed from the last and lacquered (dakkatsu).This method allows a high degree of flexibility both in the object itself and also in the shapes that are possible to make.

E: Picture (the motifs on the lacquer surface).

E-NASHIJI: Irregular shaped gold-dust particles (nashiji) are covered with yellowish lacquer (nashiji-urushi) as a pattern or decorative design.

FUKI-URUSHI: Clear lacquer, which is rubbed after it has hardened, giving a silky shine for the coated surface.

FUNZUTSU: A bamboo tube with a silk or gauze net for sprinkling powder (maki).

GIN: Silver (another precious metal used to decorate the lacquer surface.)

GIN-HIRA-MAKI-E: A sprinkled, low relief lacquer design. Silver-powder is sprinkled over a single layer of lacquer; once hard, it is fixed with several thin coatings of lacquer.

GIN-HIRAME: Shimmering surface using large flakes of silver. The flakes are larger than those used for a nashiji ground. A background of hirame is referred to as "hirameji" : hirame flakes are sprinkled over a moist lacquer background; once hard, it is recoated several times with clear lacquer which is finally polished flat, producing a mirror-like effect.

GIN- IKAKEJI: A heavily sprinkled silver powder lacquer ground consisting of one layer only - it is a precursor of "fundame" (finest silver powder - dull base)

GIN-JI GYOBU-HIRAME: Shimmering surface using large flakes of silver. The flakes are larger than those used for a nashiji ground. A background of hirame is referred to as "hirameji" : hirame flakes are sprinkled over a moist lacquer ground; once hard, it is recoated several times with clear lacquer which is finally polished flat, producing a mirror-like effect to highlight the reliefs.

GIN-NASHIJI-NURI: Sprinkled irregular silver-dust protected by transparent yellowish lacquer (nashiji-urushi); The shine of the precious metal appears warmer when the number of these layers is increased, so it changes the silver's shine to imitate gold; a further coating is applied and polishing it exposes the flakes to produce an uneven surface texture. This coating makes the shine of the silver layer warmer.

GIN-OKI-BIRAME: A shimmering surface effect using large flakes of silver. The background of the hirame is referred to as "hirameji":hirame flakes are sprinkled over a moist lacquer base; once hard, it is recoated several times with clear lacquer which is then polished flat, producing a mirror-like effect.

GIN-PAKU: Silver leaf that covers a lacquered surface.

GIN-PAKU-HARI: Silver leaf covering on lacquer surface scratched by needle.

GIN-TAKA-MAKI-E: High-relief sprinkled motif; constructed from dense lacquer paste layers. They are fixed by a protective lacquer coat and polished. Then the top surface is covered by silver powder.

GIN-TOGIDASHI: A silver-dust sprinkled (hira-maki-e) design is covered completely with the same colour lacquer as the base layer and the background, and polished until the motif reappears.

GIN- to KIN-JI-MAKI: A single layer of heavily sprinkled gold powder lacquer - precursor of "fundame" (finest gold / silver powder - dull base).

GIN- to KIN-TOGIDASHI: A sprinkled flat lacquer design; the motif is created by using low relief sprinkling. After it hardens, this design is covered completely with lacquer and polished until the motif is revealed. ( hira-maki-e: The hardening time to change the sections of the gold and silver dust graduations is 5 days for each phase, so for this work: 6x5 days are needed to depict the reflection of the Moon on the water surface.)

HIKKAKI: Decoration made by scratching the lacquer surface (with a metal or bamboo needle) in order to reveal the base lacquer colour.

HIRA: Flat (describes the evenness of the surface of the decoration.)

HIRAME-FUN: Flattened coarse flakes (of metal).

HIRAME-JI: A sprinkled low relief lacquer design. Flat gold powder is sprinkled over a single layer of lacquer; once hard, it is fixed with a thin coat of lacquer.

IROI-NURI: Coloured urushi

KAI: Shell (used since ancient times, powdered or cut into small pieces, to decorate lacquer surfaces.)

KANSHITSU: Dry lacquer substrate; Successive sheets of hemp cloth are pasted over a mould with an adhesive. Once the desired thickness has been reached, the fabric form is removed from the mould and lacquered. This method allows a high degree of flexibility in the creation of different shapes. This technology is very useful for creating fine details, for example when completing wooden statues.

KANSHITSU-KO no TAKA-MAKI-E: High-relief motif, which is built up with dry urushi-dust and several layers of coloured-lacquer (iroi-urushi) paintings.

KANSHITSU-KO-NURI: Dry lacquer powder coating which creates a rough matt surface.

KATA-GAMI-NURI: Is a coating technique, where one applies a carved paper or stencil to protect the surface from the gold that is sprinkled. This makes it possible to keep the original colour of the lower level. 'Kata' means pattern and 'gami' means paper. So, a katagami is a "pattern paper'" which interestingly describes its usage rather than referring to the technique employed.

KESHI-FUN: Pulverized gold leaf.

KIJIRO-NURI: A transparent brown-lacquer coating that leaves the original texture of the base material visible.

KIJOMI-URUSHI: The finest quality of ki-urushi. It is used for the protection and glossing of the surface layer.

KIN: Gold (the most typical decoration material on lacquer surface.)

KIN-HAKU-E TOGIDASHI: Several layers of black lacquer are painted on the surface of the pattern, then the top layer is coated by gold leaves. After its 4-5 days of hardening, new cover layers are added. Slightly burnishing the gleaming of the golden cover creates a fine, unique surface.

KIN-HIRA-MAKI-E: A sprinkled, low relief lacquer design. Gold-powder is sprinkled over a single layer of lacquer; once hard, it is fixed with several thin coats of lacquer.

KIN-HIRAME: A sprinkled low relief lacquer design. Flat gold-powder is sprinkled over a single layer of lacquer; once dry, it is fixed with additional thin coatings of lacquer.

KIN-IKAKEJI: A heavily sprinkled gold powder lacquer ground consisting of one layer only - it is a precursor of "fundame" (finest gold powder - dull base).

KIN-JI GYOBU-HIRAME: KIRIKANE: Cut gold', metal foil cut to various shapes and used in a lacquer background, often as a mosaic.

KIN-JI-MAKI: A continuous matt lacquer coating made by heavily sprinkled gold powder - it is a precursor of "fundame" (finest gold-powder), - dull base of the final motifs ( maki-e).

KIN-KAWA-NURI: A gold leaf laid on vegetable fibres is covered with transparent yellowish lacquer (nashiji-urushi).

KIN-NASHIJI-NURI: Sprinkled, irregular gold-dust protected by transparent yellowish lacquer (nashiji-urushi ; The shine of the precious metal appears warmer when the number of these layers is increased; a further coating is applied and polishing it exposes the flakes to produce an uneven surface texture.

KIN-OKIBIRAME: Irregular-shaped flakes of gold. The flakes are larger than those used for a nashiji base. A background of hirame is referred to as "hirameji" : hirame flakes are sprinkled over or individually set into a moist lacquer background; once hard, it is recoated several times with clear lacquer which is finally polished flat, producing a mirror-like effect.

KIN-PAKU: Very thin gold leaf that covers a lacquered surface.

KIN-PAKU-HARI: Gold-leaf on the lacquer surface which is protected with several transparent lacquer layers.

KIN-TAKA-MAKI-E: High-relief sprinkled motif; constructed from dense lacquer paste layers. They are fixed by a protective lacquer coat, polished, and then the top surface is covered by gold powder.

KIN- to GIN-HIRA-MAKI-E: A sprinkled, low relief lacquer design. Gold and silver-powder are sprinkled over a single layer of lacquer; once hard, it is fixed with several thin coatings of lacquer.

KIN- to GIN-IKAKEJI: A heavily sprinkled gold powder lacquer ground consisting of one layer only - it is a precursor of "fundame " (finest gold / silver powder - dull ground).

KIN- to GIN-PAKU-HARI: Gold-and silver-leaf covering on lacquer surface.

KURO-NURI: This is a black pigmented lacquer made by adding lamp black (soot of paraffin lamps) or iron-dust. It is used as a coating.

KURO-TOGIDASHI: A sprinkle-technique decoration, when the low relief is built with charcoal powder and black lacquer layers. These are then polished until the motif is revealed.

KURO-URUSHI: This is a black pigmented lacquer made by adding lamp black (soot of paraffin lamps) or iron-dust. It is used as a coating.

MAKI: To sprinkle (Powder sprinkling on a still wet lacquered surface. It is used for the finest and most delicate coverings and decorations.)

MAKI-E: "Sprinkled-picture" (gold dust, silver dust, or Mother of pearl dust on the urushi surface).

MARUI-FUN: Grain-shaped flakes (of metal).

MIDORI-JI: Green lacquer coating.

MIJIN-GAI: Sprinkled pulverized shell on lacquer surface.

MURASAKI-JI: This is a purple-lacquer coating.

NANAKO-NURI: A coating that imitates the roe of fish, created by sprinkling plant seeds onto the wet lacquer surface. After hardening, several layers of different coloured lacquer are applied and then it is burnished, which makes the sections of seeds visible. This type of lacquerware is known for its beauty, high durability and is easily recognizable by the tiny roe of fish pattern.

NASHIJI-FUN: Irregular fine precious metal dust is used to achieve a "pear skin"- like effect on the lacquer decoration.

NASHIJI-NAGASHI: Use of irregular shaped gold-dust particles (nashiji) is covered with yellowish lacquer (nashiji-urushi) when creating the oblong motif.

NASHIJI-NURI: Highly translucent orange-coloured lacquer coating. The shine of the precious metal appears warmer when the number of these layers is increased, a further coating is applied and polishing exposes the flakes to produce an uneven surface texture.

NASHIJI-URUSHI: A highly transparent lacquer that has been tinted with orange. The shine of the precious metal appears warmer as more layers are added.

NEGORO-NURI: Red (akarui-shu) over black lacquer, polished at some places to the point where it reveals the black lacquer.

NURI: Coating (undercoating or decorative layer.)

OKIME: Using tracing paper to copy a motif to the surface of a lacquered object.

RADEN: A mosaic of Mother-of-pearl , abalone, and other shell flakes embedded in lacquer or wood. aogai no kenma: the thinnest type of raden using blue-green iridescent mother-of-pearl.

SABI-URUSHI: A substance is used to build high relief (taka-maki-e) designs. It is a paste of ki-urushi and tonoko. It consists of urushi, water and pumice.

SAME-GAWA-NURI: Shark-skin coating.

SAN-DAN-KIN-NASHIJI: A rough "pear skin like" effect is achieved by sprinkling ground, small and irregular-shaped gold-flakes over each other and then coating them with several layers of orange-coloured lacquer (nashiji-urushi). Each layer polished after it hardens. Near the top lacquer-surface the gold-dust layer 's shine is brighter, so by using varied number of gold-layers and nashiji-urushi at the different parts of the decoration, delicate motifs can be created.

SEIJI-FU KIN-HIRA-GOKU-MAKI: Sprinkling technique using keshi-fun (very fine bluish gold-powder made out of gold or goldleaf), which creates glossy deep colours (similar to a jewel) beetle on the lacquered surface.

SHIBA-YAMA: An embedding technique using shell, ivory, wood and other materials in a kinji surface.

SHIPPI: Leather substrate. Tanned leather which, after preparation, is stretched and dried on a last, treated with urushi, then removed from the last and treated again with urushi on the opposite side. Leather absorbs the lacquer well, thus it becomes waterproof.

SIERE-NURI: Net-like decoration, made by slightly dipping the freshly lacquered object into gold-dust floating on water. To protect this fine surface the clearest lacquer (kijomi-urushi) is used.

SISHIAI-TOGIDASHI-MAKI-E: This is a complex process which combines all of the basic decoration methods on one picture. The techniques used are: flat ( hira-maki-e), burnished(togidashi-maki-e), relief ( taka-maki-e) sprinkling and precious inlay ( gin-ji gyobu-hirame) techniques.

SUZU-JI no TAKA-MAKI-E: A high relief, which is covered with tin-powder.

SUZU-JI TOGIKIRI: This is a decoration technique used when the shade of the colours is attained by the changing ratio of tin-dust and charcoal powder. The whole surface is polished after the motif and the surrounding area is painted, sprinkled, fixed and hardened so that the pattern and the background are on the same layer. By this method it is possible to create the inkpicture-effect.

TAKA: High (a raised area [relief] on the surface.)

TAMAGO-no-MIJIN-MAKI: A lacquer technique using small parts of white egg shell, to form an irregular mosaic background.

TOGI: Polish (describes the process of preparing the texture of the surface being decorated, or of increasing the bonding strength between layers.)

SUGARU- NURI: This lacquer technique results in a marble-like surface. An uneven layer of shibo urushi is covered by a black coating and then by dozens of different coloured layers and gold leaf (wakasa-nuri combination). The surface is then polished smooth to reveal marbled multicoloured bands and rings, resembling a bird's eye maple. When the urushi has been polished, it is enhanced by a transparent lacquer layer.

TUISYU: A carved block made by laying many hundreds of very fine layers of coloured lacquer (urushi), and then cutting them against the grain to create a rainbow effect showing the beauty of the sections of the laminate.

UMA-NO-KE: Horse hair; used by a unique traditional Hungarian knotting technique to create light, durable shapes in any form.

URUSHI: The sap of a Lacquer-tree (Rhus vernicifera) (which is used in the Far East for painting and handicrafts.)

URUSHI-BURO: The urushi-buro is a moisture-retentive and dust-proof box or cupboard constructed from Japanese cedar or cypress in which the urushi coated object hardens. Appropriate temperature and humidity are crucial for the proper hardening of the urushi . (The time required for setting is usually 4-5 days at a temperature of 25 C and a relative humidity of 70%.)

WAKASA-NURI: Employs additional materials, such as very fine sized eggshells, seashells (or pine-leaves), which are coated with gold leaves and then, after its burnishing, it is fixed and protected by coatings of transparent yellowish lacquer (nashiji-urushi). The surface is then burnished and recoated in lacquer several times until the surface has a silky texture.